Back Pain

Pilates Exercises for Sciatica

In case you are suffering from excessive pain from sciatic nerve pain then there are few Pilate’s exercises which could be of great help in reducing the pain. In case the episodes of sciatic pain are reoccurring again and again then the stretches must be carried out on a regular basis. This will help in reducing your pain completely.

Tips for Warming Up:

Before you begin your schedule of exercises it would be good if do the warm-up first. So in order to carry out the warm-up you can do the following things:

Take a hot shower

5 minutes of walking or riding bicycle which will increase the circulation of blood especially in the area of sciatic nerve

Purpose of Pilate Exercises:

The main purpose of Pilate exercise is:

To stretch the area of lumbar spine and sacrum

Proper stretching increases the flexibility and will also increase the normal range of motion for day-to-day activities.

If the series of stretching exercises are performed on the regular basis then it loosens up the tight muscles of the lower back and also piriformis muscles which are located deep in the buttocks which are responsible for pain.

The regular execution of stretching exercises helps in reducing pain quickly and also reduces the chances of future pain as well.

Stretches for Sciatica:

Some of the stretching exercises for sciatica include:

Pelvic Tilt:

Some of the steps of this exercise are:

Lie down flat on the back with the knees bent.

Tilt the pelvis so that the back flattens.

Now roll up the public bone curling the tailbone above the floor.

Remember to exhale while you flatten the abdominal muscles of the spine and curling the tailbone inwards. Inhale the air while relaxing the tailbone above the floor.

Hold the stretch for a few seconds and then leave to relax.

You can perform 8-10 repetitions of the exercise.

Hamstring Stretch:

The steps of this exercise are:

Lie down flat on the back and wrap a band or towel around one foot, keep the other leg stretched.

Make sure that your exhale while pulling the banded leg upwards till the time the stretch is felt in the back of the leg.

Try to remain in the stretched position for some time and later release the leg back to the floor.

Perform the same exercise with the other leg as well.

You can perform 8-10 repetitions of the exercise with each leg.

Knee Stirs:

The steps of this exercise are:

Lie down flat on the back; keep one leg extended and other bent at 90 degrees.

Now circle the bent leg 8 times in each direction of the socket of the hip, keeping both the pelvis and the body still.

Make sure that there is no movement in the lower part of the leg and only the thigh in the hip socket moves.

Repeat the exercise with the other leg and in both directions.

Single Leg Stretch:

The steps of this exercise are:

Lie down flat on the back and pull one knee to the chest and stretch out the leg towards the ceiling.

Keep switching the legs as you breathe in and out while pulling the abdominal muscles down flat at time of extending one leg.

Pull the muscles till the time stretch is felt in the spine when the back is flattened into the floor.

You can perform 10 repetitions of this exercise with each leg.

Elbow Press up:

This Exercise is considered as one of the best exercises for stretching the sciatic nerves. The steps of this exercise are:

Lie on your stomach and place the hands outside the head and press the head up into the elbows, while drawing the belly button up and lifting the ribs and chest above the mat.

Hold the position for some time and then return back slowly to the initial position.

You can perform 10 repetitions of pressing in of the head to the arms and then straightening them.

Break Stroke Preparation:

This exercise is helpful in lengthening up the chest muscles and also develops the muscles of the lower, upper and middle back. The steps of this exercise are:

Lie on the floor with your face down and legs extended out and arms pushes close to the sides.